Existing televisions, set top boxes, and other devices that tune broadcast signals contain a single tuner which is capable of tuning one of several different channels contained in a broadcast signal. Since these existing device contain a single tuner, they are not capable of tuning two or more different channels simultaneously (without the help of an external tuning device). Thus, when a user submits a request to change channels, the single tuner is instructed to change to the requested channel. Since there is only one tuner, there is no question as to which tuner will tune the requested channel.
However, with the development of televisions, set top boxes, and other client devices that contain multiple tuners, issues arise regarding which tuner should be used to tune a particular channel when a request to change channels is received. For example, once a particular tuner begins tuning and recording a program, that tuner cannot be used to tune any other channel without stopping the recording process. If a request to change channels is received while a particular channel is being recorded, the system must determine whether the user desires to stop the recording and view the new channel or to continue recording the previous channel while viewing the new channel. Repeatedly prompting the user to select a tuner to tune a particular channel is likely to be frustrating and distracting to the user.
Therefore it is desirable to provide a system that selects among multiple tuners to tune a particular channel in a manner that is least intrusive to the user of the system.